


And I paid a visit- Well, it's possible I missed it- It seemed different, yet exactly the same.

by ineedhelpwithmylifern



Series: On the Other Side [2]
Category: Lego Ninjago
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-06-03 15:07:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19466521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ineedhelpwithmylifern/pseuds/ineedhelpwithmylifern
Summary: We never did see what made Lloyd choose to not take the First Spinjitzu Master's in Season 10, did we? What if he was given another reason of choice?What if he spoke to Harumi and Morro?





	And I paid a visit- Well, it's possible I missed it- It seemed different, yet exactly the same.

**Author's Note:**

> Another entry for Ninjago Discords writing contest, this prompt being s8/s9/s10. I had fun with this one, throwing in some Departed Realm headcanons :)
> 
> Lloyd and Harumi povs in this one

"Ninja Go!"

_The Tornado of Creation will save us from the Oni._

_The Tornado of Creation is our only chance._

_The Tornado of Creation..._

I shot up into a sitting position. The land around me had immensely changed, I could have sworn that I was in the Monastery. Last I knew, we were using the Tornado of Creation. We had to defeat the Oni, and that was our last chance.

But what had happened?

I stood up, watching the almost endless expanse of grass blow in a light, almost nonexistent breeze. There were floating islands above the grass, but they were few and far between. Many golden flowers could be seen littered around, and I _knew_ I wasn't in ~~Kansas~~ Ninjago anymore. I ran a hand through my hair, breathing out slowly. 

Okay, okay. Maybe this was a side effect of the tornado. But if it was, the others would have told me about it, right? 

"Hello, Lloyd." A voice spoke, startling me. I spun around. "Do you like my dragon?"

_It was none other than the First Spinjitzu Master?!_

I clapped my hand over my mouth, stepping back. How. How was he here? I slowly removed my hand, speaking up. "You..." I bowed, "You are the First Spinjitzu Master."

He laughed quietly. "No, no, please—no kneeling. You have done so much for Ninjago. If anyone should kneel, it should be I." He tipped his hat as he turned to the dragon that sat beside him.

"Where is this? Where am I?" I asked quickly, "What happened?"

"You faced destruction with dignity and courage, and you responded with creation and love." He ran a hand across the dragon's snout, it giving a purr of approval. "There is no greater response."

"But," I spoke, "Why am I even here?"

"I brought you here to say thank you for all you have done."

"But..."

"Yes?"

"I don't understand." It almost seemed as if the dragon was _laughing_ as it stepped backward, making room for its master. 

The First Spinjitzu Master walked up to me slowly, "Life is a balance. Endings are never really endings, only new beginnings." He vanished. "And you have given us all a new beginning." He appeared at my other side. "The future is what we make of it, and you refused to let our future end in darkness." He vanished as a multitude of golden petals swirled around me. "Well done, Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon." He was standing in front of me as he took off his hat and bowed. He looked back up at me. "Well done."

"Thanks," I laughed nervously, "But, well, I don't really understand any of this. Like, at all."

"You will soon... if you choose to come with me." The First Spinjitzu Master said as he climbed up onto his dragon.

"Come with you... where?"

"That is a secret." He chuckled, "But you will be happy there. Or you can return to your friends and take up your duties as the Green Ninja again."

"And if I go home, will I remember this?" I hummed, picking up one of the golden petals.

"You will think it was a dream. In time, you will forget all about it." He held out his hand as if to ask me to join him.

I reached out to grab it and-

* * *

When someone important to you in your lifetime arrives in the Departed Realm, whether they were good or bad to you, as long as either you left an impact on them or the other way around, your chest will begin to burn. It's not bad, just a feeling. It's a signal. To know someone has come.

It's stronger when there's a bigger connection, when a family member, a loved one, a significant other, a dear friend arrives. Someone who left a lasting impact. If it was a smaller impact, the burn will be softer, calmer.

My parents had told me that it was a comfort when I had joined them here. They had told me it was like a slight warmth blossoming in your chest, a comfort, a relief that someone was here now, here to be with you.

That definitely wasn't the case. 

There had been a few times when I had felt the burning, but it was always just something I could ignore. Sometimes I would go and see the person who was joining us, but the Master wouldn't have me appear to them, just their family members or friends at first. 

Well, I have run into people who had looked up to me, who had said I was the hope of Ninjago when they were alive. Some have forgiven me, said it's in the past now, now that the Ninja have gotten past it, that their families are okay. Others resent me, not ever willing to forgive. They yell at me when I go near, tell me it's all my fault that Lloyd was hurt, that Ninjago fell, that they lost Garmadon from this peaceful place.

Those words do hurt, but I mostly ignore them. What they think of me is none of my concern here. I don't have a reputation to uphold as much anymore. I don't regret much, but there are things that I wish to make amends with. But that would have to wait for people to arrive here.

These people are why I'm with Morro most of the time. He found a fairly empty place for himself when he had first arrived here so he wouldn't have to deal with the threats. When I joined the ranks of the Departed, he had come up to me and asked if I would like to come with him, to a place I wouldn't be ridiculed.

We stay there a lot. My parents and the King and Queen visit a lot (Morro gets really flustered around the latter two, probably their ranks), so I still keep in contact with them.

Morro, he- he was orphaned at a young age. My parents have vowed that they will figure out who they were, but for now, they say he's like their own. He thinks it's nice.

Back to the main topic.

The first time someone I had somewhat of a 'close' (if you could even call it that) connection with someone who had joined us, it was nothing like what my parents had told me. It was not the peaceful warmth. Not it the slightest. It was a splitting burning feeling.

I had been with my parents when it had happened, so I didn't know of Morro's similar predicament. The two of them had panicked when I dropped to my knees, clutching my chest. They told me that they were feeling a small warmth, someone was here. They would bring me to the meeting area. They would see what was wrong.

Maybe the Master could help.

A lot of people were there when we arrived. Some people looked at me in disgust as we walked over, sneered, made comments about how "She shouldn't be here" or "What is she? Insensitive?" I simply ignored them as usual and found my way to the inner rings of the circle, without my parents' help. I had somehow run into Morro, who had helped me through the crowd to be able to see who was here.

"Do you know who it is?" I spoke, "They seem pretty important, especially for him to have his dragon with him like this."

"Nope. And at this rate, that dragon is going to block our view." Morro grumbled, rubbing his chest.

"My parents told me the signal would be comforting. Not that it would feel like my chest was on fire."

He stared at me with an incredulous look on his face. "So your parents didn't have _anyone_ they disagreed with in their lifetime?"

"They- Wait, what?"

"If you left a bad impression on someone or they on you that overpowers anything else with them, it's going to burn, like fire and pain, when they come here. And by the fact that your chest is burning like mine is, the person must be-"

The dragon moved, giving me a clear look at who the Master was talking to. "Lloyd..." I breathed, watching petals swirl around the Green Ninja. "Did he..."

"I'd assume so," Morro spoke.

I wrung my hands. "So soon after..."

"Yep." 

We watched them talk, petals surrounding the pair. When the Master climbed up onto his dragon and held out his hand, my breath caught in my throat. Lloyd was important. _Very_ important, especially to the Master. He almost never invited someone up onto his dragon like that. Apparently the only other time that had happened was with Garmadon and a few of the Elemental Masters.

I waited for Lloyd to take his hand, to join us all.

But he hesitated.

The Master hummed, waving his had over the crowd, but resting his hand right over where Morro and I were standing.

Lloyd met my eyes.

* * *

And- And I didn't grab it.

I pulled back my hand, hesitating. "But what if I miss something important and Ninjago falls? What will happen to my friends? What's in it for me if I leave them?"

The First Spinjitzu Master chuckled. "How about you take a look? There are friends here as well." He gestured around himself, people appearing and disappearing at his command. He stopped, pointing in one direction.

I turned, meeting the eyes of two very familiar people. It took me a moment to realize that theywere _really_ there, but I soon began walking towards them.

Harumi and Morro.

The two of them looked vastly different from the last time I had seen them. Harumi was in a simple pair of green overalls and her hair, once a stark, snowy white, but now a washed blonde, was up in a messy bun. She wore no makeup on her pale face. Morro was no longer a ghost, his green skin now tanned. He wore a band shirt and a pair of shorts, and he did not look as sickly as before.

Morro raised an eyebrow at my approach, and Harumi seemed to shrink back. There had to be a reason the the First Spinjitzu Master had fully shown them to me.

"Hey," Morro half-waved, "Nice to see ya."

I waved back, "Hello Morro, uh, this better than the Cursed Realm?"

He let out a breathy chuckle. "Loads better. I'm free from the Preeminent's influence."

"Yeah," I hummed, breathing out, my gaze wandering over the landscape. "Is everything this green?"

"Mhm," Morro replied, "Well, as long as the person who has control of the area doesn't change the grass color, I guess."

"What?"

"It takes a while to explain." Harumi mumbled.

A strained silence overtook them as we stood there. It was uncomfortable. And I didn't like it.

It wasn't me who broke it though.

"How did you, y'know, get here?" Harumi spoke slowly.

"Wh-" I stumbled.

"How did you die?"

"I... Died?"

Morro smacked her arm, but she continued. "Lloyd. In order to end up here, you had to have died."

"Do you mean that this is the-"

She tilted her head in confusion. "The Departed Realm."

I put a hand over my face, shaking. "I died. Oh First Spinjitzu Master, I died."

"Did you not know?" She whispered, worriedly twirling a part of her hair that had fallen out of her bun.

"No?" I hissed, "Before I came here, I was with the team, about to use the Tornado of Creation as a last ditch effort to defeat the Oni..."

"The Oni?" Harumi asked, "You mean it was me that... Killed you?" She had begun to shake, tears forming in her eyes.

"Harumi?" Morro asked her, "Are you alright?"

She ignored his question. "I don't regret most things." She blinked, attempting to get rid of her tears, "But there is one thing that I most definitely regret."

"Harumi?" I tried, but to no avail.

"I regret this, and only this." She looked up to stare into my eyes, her cheeks stained with tears. "I regret all the death I have caused. The lives I had taken in my quest for revenge. I've seen so many that I had harmed, just because I held a grudge."

"Harumi, it's alright, you're here, the Master forgives you." Morro whispered to her.

"No it's not!" She yelled back, "The Master may forgive me, but I don't forgive myself!"

I grabbed her arm to calm her down. "It's alright, Harumi, I-"

"I'm sorry!" She screamed, "I'm so sorry for what I've done! I killed so many people, and-"

"Harumi," I said, "I forgive you."

She froze. "You... You forgive _me?_ After what I have done?"

"Yes. You said you regret it. You have apologized. You know what you did was wrong. I forgive you."

"Thank you Lloyd," She hugged me tightly before backing away quickly, almost sheepishly. "Sorry about that too..."

I pulled her back in for another hug, this time forcing Morro to join in. I pulled out of it, rubbing the back of my neck. "He told me I could return to Ninjago if I wished. But I don't know if I want to leave all this behind..."

Harumi gasped, punching my arm. "Someone has to clean up my mess and your friends can't just do it alone!"

"But you two-"

"Will still be here when you die a second time." Morro smirked, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, and it had better not be anytime soon, you hear?" Harumi held up her index finger, shaking it in my direction. "No reason to leave Ninjago so early." She rubbed her eyes, grumbling, "Master, why am I so emotional?!"

I took a deep breath and looked over where the First Spinjitzu Master was waiting for me. "I should probably go before he keeps me here, then."

They both nodded and I began my walk over to him.

"Stay safe and don't let Ninjago fall _again_!" Harumi called out, waving.

"Or else I'll find a way to haunt you." Morro drawled in a joking tone.

I laughed, not replying to them as I approached the Master and his dragon.

"I wish to return to Ninjago."

* * *

I watched Lloyd walk away, Morro at my side.

"So, you never regretted anything, eh?" Morro jabbed, smiling at me.

"I was vulnerable, idiot!" I pushed him lightly, "You were telling me to apologize, but you never did!"

"Because I wasn't going to break down like you did."

I stuck my tongue out at him. A look back to the Master showed Lloyd disappearing in a tornado of petals.

"He will be fine." Morro said, "He's recovered from my time with him, so he should bounce back from your time. He is strong."

"Yeah," I hummed, hugging myself. "I still feel bad, though."

"That's normal." A voice spoke from behind me. The Master. "As he said, you recognize what you did was wrong. And you feel bad about it. All is fine, and we forgive you."

I smiled softly. 

"Thank you."

* * *

As I felt a weight lifted off my chest and the concerned cries of my friends reached my ears, I blinked the light out of my eyes.

I was back in the Monastery.

My friends, my team, were crowding around me, asking if I was okay, if I was alright. I nodded, my head still cloudy from what just happened.

The First Spinjitzu Master said it would just be as if it was a dream, but I remembered my own words, Harumi's, Morro's, and his.

I felt a hug from someone. Kai? Cole?

Harumi was sorry and I forgave her.

Her and Morro were in the Departed Realm, safe. They knew about this and they seemed to care if I was alright.

I hugged them.

I hugged whoever was hugging me, laughing.

"I'm home."


End file.
